


A Foretaste of Joys to Come

by headfirstfrhalos



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Fluff, High School, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Plot Twists, Shovel Talk, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-22 20:57:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9625064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/headfirstfrhalos/pseuds/headfirstfrhalos
Summary: Tyler brings Josh over to meet his parents one evening.





	

If he was going to be completely honest with himself, Tyler was more than a little nervous. Josh didn't look like anything his parents ever seen before. He went to a different school, a different church, hung out with different people. The only connection they had was one mutual friend who had graduated and gone off to Minnesota last summer. They've been friends for a year and dating for four months, which, in his parents' minds, meant that he was overdue for a visit. They were currently in the kitchen preparing baked macaroni and cheese for the first dinner all together.

There was a knock on the door. It was Josh. Tyler raced over to the door before any of his younger siblings could reach it, open it, and promptly insult Tyler's choice in romantic partners. He looked through the peephole before opening it and immediately hugging whoever was behind it, just in case it was actually just the mailman with a late delivery. It's happened before.

It was Josh. He was standing a few feet behind the door as if to prepare for someone lunging out with a rifle or rolling pin. He was wearing a plain black shirt and his least ratty pairs of shoes and pants. He left his hair unstraightened, and the dark curls bunched around his face like a tiny halo. Josh seemed just as nervous as he, chewing at his bottom lip, the silver metal of the ring clicking against his white, perfect teeth. He had debated asking Josh to take out his lip ring before coming over, but decided against it. The lip ring would change nothing if his parents decided they didn't like anything else.

Tyler opened the door and gave a small nod at Josh, who gave him a little half-smile as he scuffed his shoes on the welcome mat, then immediately took them off. He set them next to the door, neat and taking up as little space as possible. His socked feet were quiet as he padded across the carpet, following Tyler to the dining room.

"Mom? Dad? Josh is here."

His mother was looking through the drawers as his father pulled the food from the oven. They both turned to see Josh, who gave them a small, awkward wave. Tyler rested a gentle hand on his shoulder to calm him. He could feel him shaking from where he stood a few inches away.

"Oh, hello, Josh," his mother said, "We've heard so many good things about you. Come, have a seat. We're just about ready."

Tyler's father gave Josh a quick nod as he set the macaroni on the counter. Josh sat down, and Tyler joined him at his left. The plates were already on the table, glasses overturned on top of the napkins and the utensils clean and glistening.

"Your house is nice," Josh said. 

"Thanks. And so are my parents, you know. They won't hate you." He was trying to convince himself as much as he was convincing Josh.

"Hopefully. 'Cause I know I don't look very--" he gestured at his face.

"You look amazing, Josh, you always do," Tyler insisted.

Josh let out a small, happily defeated sigh. "Thanks."

"Always."

The table was set and the food doled out. Tyler's mother called his siblings down to eat, and everyone was quickly seated, which meant that the interrogation could begin.

"So, Josh," his father said as he forked a noodle, "Any hobbies you've got? How are your grades?"

"Uh, I like to play the drums," Josh said, struggling to swallow his bite. "My grades are alright. I'm not taking any Honors or AP classes though."

"Drumming? You're a musician?"

"Kinda, yeah," Josh said with a sheepish smile.

"Self-taught, too," Tyler feels the need to add.

"Impressive."

The short answer seemed to send a chill through Josh, and Tyler surreptitiously rested his hand next to Josh's thigh, fingers moving slowly to remind him that he was still there. Josh's leg twitched towards his hand to silently acknowledge it.

"You've got a cool lip ring," Maddy said, loud as always. "Didn't it hurt when you got it?"

"It did, yeah. It keeps hurting even after you get it pierced, you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's got to heal."

A small discussion about the human body struck off between Josh and Maddy, and now Tyler could hear the anxiety melting out of his words as he found refuge in the honesty of a child. Tyler smiled as he watched him, the little quirk of his mouth and the glimmer of light reflecting off his eyes. He was staring very blatantly, he was aware from the way Jay made fake retching noises at him, but Jay was five, what did he know?

He looked over at his parents to see if they approved. They shrugged when he looked at them, which was unhelpful, but he thought he saw them grinning from the corner of his eye as he turned away.

* * *

 

Dinner ended faster than Tyler had expected. Tyler and Josh sat on the couch, waiting for his parents to come and take him home.

"So how was it?" Tyler asked.

"It was good," Josh said, "I like your parents."

"Good. Hopefully you'll be seeing them more often."

"Do you think they like me?"

"Of course." Tyler was about to leave it at that before realizing he had more to say. He turned to look at Josh. "I'm so glad you had a good time here. I was kinda worried too, actually, that you wouldn't like them or they wouldn't like you. I'm pretty sure they love you. If you're nice to my siblings, they'll never want you to leave."

Josh's phone buzzed in his pocket. His mother was here.

"Oh, crap, I have to go."

Josh leaned in to give him a quick peck before standing up. 

"Uh, my mom's here, I have to go. Thanks for having me over, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph."

"It was a pleasure," Tyler's mother said. "Come over any time you like."

"Thank you so much," Josh said, and he started to head for the door. Tyler followed him until they were both on the front porch. It was spring, and the days were long enough that there was still a little pink light left in the sky. Tyler stopped Josh from going any further and turned him back around.

"One more, please?" he asked.

Josh immediately obliged, and Tyler made a small, happy sigh through his nose as their lips pressed together. Josh's mother honked impatiently as they continued kissing and he was pretty sure his parents were watching from inside, but he didn't care. Tyler ran his fingers through Josh's curly hair, gently stroking his head.

Eventually they ran out of breath and they pulled apart, happily dazed.

"Love you, dude," Tyler said.

"I love you too," Josh said, laughing softly. 

"I just realized I said 'dude'."

"That's fine. It makes it special. How many people say that, after all?"

"You're right. Now go," Tyler said, spinning him on his heel. "Your mom's waiting."

Josh crawled into the back seat and rolled down the window, waving as they drove away. Tyler smiled to himself as they disappeared around a corner, and went back inside. 

His father was waiting for him on the couch, a small tumbler of his after-dinner whiskey held loosely in his right hand.  

"Tyler?" he asked, "I'd like to talk to you."

Tyler froze. That didn't sound good. Did they not like Josh? He swallowed and turned around, heading back for the couch where his father sat. 

"Have a seat," he said, patting the spot next to him. The sound was suddenly very loud, and his skin crawled. 

Tyler was terrified, but he obliged. The springs in the sofa creaked as he settled lightly onto the couch, as if he needed to spring away from his father. They've only disapproved of one person before, and he'd give anything to never have to relive that evening again.

"Now," his father began. "About Josh. Don't get me wrong, he's a good kid. I like him. But I need you to know, and do, something."

Tyler bit the inside of his cheek and hoped his nervousness didn't show. He was just a few words away from heartbreak and he didn't want to embarrass himself. He was seventeen. He could handle it.

"Love him," his father said.

What?

His father must have noticed the dumbfounded look on his face, because he made a quiet laugh and explained.

"I know it's terrible to say, and a bit odd to be turning the shovel talk on you, but I trust him more than I trust you when it comes to being nice. You always go for the sensitive ones, you know. You've always been a little... _blunt_ , to say the least."

The knot in his stomach loosened a little. This wasn't anything new. Josh liked his honesty, he was one of the few people in the world who did, and Tyler enjoyed his.

"I say this because I know it's gotten you into trouble a lot of times before."

Tyler thought back to the others he brought over for dinner long ago, and could agree.

"So, just be mindful. You two seem wonderful together and I'd hate to see that ruined. We all deserve love. You got that?"

"Yes, Dad. Thank you."

He tried to sound somewhat composed, but the elation in his voice shone through. His father caught his smile and mirrored it, and Tyler practically skipped back up the stairs to his room. He and Josh were always on the same page, and there was nothing for him to worry about. He pulled out his phone and messaged Josh.

 

_Hey Josh_

Sent by Tyler at 6:45 PM

 

_What_

Sent by Josh at 6:45 PM

 

_They do like you! They actually gave the shovel talk to me, not you, if you didn't realize_

Sent by Tyler at 6:45 PM

 

_That was bugging me the whole time actually. I was really expecting that to happen at some point but it just didn't._

Sent by Josh at 6:46 PM

 

_Lol_

_My dad said I'm too blunt and I need to be more careful with you just in case._

Sent by Tyler at 6:46 PM

 

_I prefer brutal honesty over polite lies_

Sent by Josh at 6:46 PM

 

_Deep. You should write the poems, not me._

Sent by Tyler at 6:47 PM

 

_I'm not a poet_

Sent by Josh at 6:47 PM

 

_No one starts off as one. Don't worry. You know I'll never laugh at what you do._

Sent by Tyler at 6:47

 

_That's why I'm so glad you're honest._

Sent by Josh at 6:48 PM

**Author's Note:**

> plot twist lol


End file.
